The Portland daily press., 1887-10-01
THE RED SKY.
Caused by Suspended Moisture and
Not by Dust from Java.
washington Start

washington oIaf.
Some four years ago, when the so-called
red sky was SO prominent, many if not
the majority of the scientific men of the coun
try supported the dust theory. In one sense
the eruption at Java, despite the absurdity
of the claim, was most fortunate and oppor.
tune; it furnished at least an apparently
ready cause for the dust theory of the phe-
nomenon. The great majority of the world
seem to have the idea that our atmosphere
has about the same relation to the earth that
the water on revolving grindstone has to
the stone. Before the age of the weather
map, whereby we have obtained facts in re-
gard to the atmosphere, this was excusable,
but no longer is such view tenable or sensi-
ble But, itmay be asked, what has the map
to do with explaining the red sky and oppos-
ing the dust theory? 1t shows the absurdty
of the possibility of any such material as
dust to travel, as claimed, around the earth,
even though it had the power to produce
such an effect. BY the map we learn all
about the factors "high" and ''low," where
by the atmosphere is, through the heat of the
sun, kept In motion. We now know that the
earth is round, still we are not personally
cognizant of it. To all practical purposes we
live on great plain; and to all practical pur-
poses over this great plain the winds swept
from all directions, from the south, or
toward the great ice-bound country, as well
as from the north and toward the warm equa
tor country. In many things, indeed in most
things, we can fairly judge the whole by a
part. We have not as yet stations all over
the world, still we have them over the great
area of the United States. From the obser
vations here taken we can judge of the at
mospheric conditions of the whole globe
Java is about opposite to the United States,
or one half way around the world. From the
conditions over the United States the "highs'
and lows will average about 1000 miles on
centers. Then there are various belts of these
thighs and Flows" There are four general
Places gates, where they enter our territory,
IN the extreme Northwest, at the head of the
Gulf of California, through Mexico and the
Gulf and in the Southeast along the Florida
coast. We know not as yet their course be-
fore entering our territory, still it will be
safe and fair to allow six "low" centers be-
tween the center of the United States and
Java, together with number of parallel
belts. Low" is the agent of the storm, and
each center is like a great malstrom which
gathers in the atmosphere within radius of
not know the exact height at which our at
nosphere moves, but no less authority than
Mature" has given the height of the "cirrus"
clouds as $4,000 feet. Other authority has
said from 10000 to 5000 feet When the
eruption at Krakatoa first occurred it was
stated that the dust aDd ashes were thrown
to the enormous height of 5000 feet! Now,
admitting this 5000 feet, as a plain matter of
arithmetic, will anything thrown 5000 feet
in air pass over an obstacle $1,000, or even
10000 feet high? These Flows" are all the
while present and on the move; they do not
remain stationary or become extinct. Occa-
slonally one becomes much reduced, but then